Coin-controlled locking mechanism.



PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

W. H. SCOTT.

COIN CONTROLLED LOOKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21- 1902.

80 MODEL.

will. 5:..

UNITED STATES ATENT NVILLIAM H. SCOTT, OF ST. T ROLLER COMPANY OFPORATION OF MISSOURI.

Patented August 2, 1904.

FFICEo COlN-CONTROLLED LOCKING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,396, dated August2, 1904.

Application filed July 21,1902. Serial No. 116, I05. 'IIe model.

To a]? It'll-n11 it may concern Be it known that I, \VILLIA H. Soo'r'r,a citizen of the United States, residing at St.Louis, Missouri, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in (om-(Iont-rolled Lock-I I I ing hIech-anisms, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, such as will I enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same. reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings. forming part of this specification, in whichFigure I is a longitudinal elevation show- Fig. 2 a transmechanisms ofthis character employed for the purpose of telephone-locks, the primaryobject of my invention being to provide a 1 simple and efficientmechanism which employs but a single movable part for the purpose oflocking the suspension-lmok, the inserted coin co perating with saidmovable part in such manner that the suspensionhook can be unlocked.

A further object of my invention to provide a mechanism of the characterindicated with means whereby when the suspensionhook has been unlockedand the receiver reextends downwardly from the slot 7, the premovedtherefrom said suspension-hook can be thrown into lowered position atthe will of the operator (as for the purpose of signaling central)without effecting relocking of the said I hook until the receiver isagain placed on the hook.

inafter described and claimed.

Referring now more particularly to the I drawings, 1 indicates atelephonebox, which I can be of any suitable construction, and

represents the customary suspension-hook for the usualtelephone-receiver 3. Av box or casing I is secured to the wall or othersuitable support, as by means of bolts or screws passing through theopenings I, and said casing extends at the side of the said telephoneboxin such manner that the hereinafter-mentioned locking-bar lies over thesaid suspension-hook, said casing containing the heroinafterdescribedlockingmechanism and being provided with a coin-raceway 6 and also witha horizontal slot 7 in its bottom wall, suitable guides 8 preferablyextending from said slot. A locking-bar is substantially verticallyslidable in said slot and between said guides, said bar being providedin its upper portion with a recess having a substantially verticalportion II) and an angular portion 11 communicating with the upper endof said portion 10, thus producing a shoulder 12, which in the normalposition of the locking-bar lies under a suitable stop or pin 13. Thispin is preferably provided with a head II, by means of which theslide-bar is guided in its movements. The portion of said slide-barwhich lies above the part of said bar which extends downwardly from thesaid slot '7 extends inwardly i. 1*., toward the hereinafter-mentionedcoin rcceptacle thus producing a shoulder II, which preferably restsupon the bottom wall of the casing when the slide-bar is in lowermostposition. The portion of the slide-bar above that part of said bar whichextends downwardly from the slot 7 extendiug upon the inner side of saidportion which ponderanee of weight is upon the inner side of the bar,whereby gravity not only throws the bar into lowermost position, butalso throws the upper end of the same inwardly, the extent of inwardmovement of the bar being of course limited by the guides 8, theshoulder II, and the pin 13. Preferably the desired downward and inwardmovement of the slide-bar is assisted. by means of a light coiled springI5, suitably secured to the slidebar and to some relatively lixedmember.

The upper end of the slide-bar lies in the line of the raceway (3 andforms, in effect, the bottom of said raceway, the casing being providedwith suitable portions, as thestop mom:

bers 16 and 17, which when the slide-bar is in normal locking positionpermit a coin to seat between the member 16 and the upper inner cornerof the slide-bar, the said members 16 and 17 preventing any substantialmovement of the coin until the same has been released by the slide-bar.I

Normally theslide-bar is in lowermost position above the receiversuspension-hook with the shoulder 12 below the pin 13, so that thereceiver suspension-hook is locked against upward movement. Upon theinsertion of a coin or token w the said coin comes to rest between theupper inner corner of the slide-bar and the stop members 16 and 17, asheretofore explained, and as the coin is held in a vertical position itscurved edge presents a cam-surface which is engaged by the said cornerof the slide-bar. As soon, therefore, as the telephone-receiver isremoved from the suspension-hook the usual spring controlling said hookforces the hook upwardly and lifts'the slide-bar, the cam-surfaceafforded by the coin throwing the bar outwardly sufliciently to permitthe shoulder 12 to ,clear the pin 13, and thus permit full upwardmovement of the slide-bar. As the bar continues to move upwardly itsupper inner corner is carried above the periphery of the coin, and thesupport for the coin being thus removed said coin or token drops into asuitable coin-receptacle 18. WV hen the receiver is again placed uponthe suspension-hook, said hook is lowered in a well-understood mannerand the slide-bar falls into normal locking position.

Pivotally supported upon the casing is a supporting-lever which has adownwardlyextending arm 19, to which the, pivotal connection is made,and a substantially horizontal arm 20, which extends beneath thereceiver suspension hook, said arm being provided with a curved fingeror other part 21, adapted to be engaged by the receiver. I/Vhen thereceiver is in position ,upon the suspensionhook, it engages the saidfinger 21, and thus forces the same backwardly against the tension of aspring, which can conveniently be the heretofore-mentioned spring 15,one end of said spring being secured to the arm 19 of thelocking-bar-controlling lever and the other end being secured to thelocking-bar. The arm 19 of the lever is provided with a nose or othersuitable projection 22, which when the receiver is in position on thesuspension-hook lies at the side of the locking-bar and out of linetherewith. I/Vhen, however, the receiver is removed from the suspensionhook, the spring 15 rocks said lever upon its pivot and throws the nose22 against the slide-bar, said nose being thrown under theheretofore-mentioned shoulder 14E as soon as the slide-bar has beensufficiently elevated. If, then, the

suspension-hook is depressed while the receiver 1s removed from thesame, the lockingbar merely falls until the said shoulder 1 1 engagesthe said nose 22, such position being indicated by the dotted lines inFig. 1 and the parts being so proportioned and arranged that when thelocking-bar is so supported upon the said nose the shoulder 12 is abovethe pin 13. Therefore as soon as pressure is removed from the receiversuspension-hook the said hook and the locking-bar are free to be againelevated by the usual spring which operates said hook. \Vhen, however,the operator again places the receiver upon the suspension-hook, saidreceiver engages the finger 21 androcks the lever into the positionshown by full lines in Fig. 2, the nose being carried from under theshoulder 14 and the slide bar being thus permitted to fall into lockingand locked position. In order to prevent the operator from accidentallyengaging the arm 19 of the locking-bair-controlling lever when itengages the receiver suspension-hook for the purpose of reciprocatingthe same, I provide a guard-web 23 upon the casing, said web lying atthe side of and projecting beyond the arm 19 of the said lever when thesame is in such position that the nose 22 is under the shoulder 14*.

Of course the locking slide-bar has suflicient play in its guides topermit the heretoforedescribed movements.

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts of my device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent. is

1. In a mechanism of the character indicated, a casing provided with abearing, alocking member guided by saidbearing and bodily movable uponthe same in two lines which are at an angle to each other, a stop in thepath of movement of said locking member in the direction of normalmovement of the latter from locking position, and means for supporting acoin in said path of movement of said locking member to present the edgeof said coin as 'a deflecting-surface for said locking member whereby assaid locking member moves in one line it engages the edge of the coinand is bodily deflected in the other line and thus caused to clear saidstop; substantially as described.

2. In a mechanism of the character indicated, a casing having a passageproducing a coin-raceway, a locking member which is bodilylongitudinally movable and laterally deflectable, a stop in the path oflongitudinal movement of said locking member toward unlocking position,said locking member, when in looking position, obstructing a portion ofsaid coin-passage, whereby the periphery of a deposited coin strikessaid locking member and said coin seats upon a corner of the same,

a coin-arresting device spaced from said cor- I ner and cooperating withthe same to produce the coin-seat, and a second coin-arresting devicespaced from the said coin-seating portion of said locking member in thegeneral direction of longitudinal movement of the latter towardunlocking position, whereby said second coin-arresting device and saidcoin-seating portion of said locking member lie upon opposite sides of adeposited coin and, in the longitudinal movement of said locking membertoward unlocking position, said locking,

member engages said coin and is thus detlected 1 supporting position andcapable of engaging to clear said stop; substantially as described.

In a mechanism of the character indicated, a locking member which isbodily movable in two lines at an angle to each other and is providedwith an angular guide-slot, a stop in said slot and in the path ofnormal movement of the shoulder produced by the angle ot' the same, andmeans for supporting a deposited coin in position to present adeflectingsurface to said movable member; substantially as described.

leasing said locking-bar, a s1rpporting-lever having one arm movable inand out of the path of movement of said locking-bar, and adapted when insaid path of movement to support the latter in released position andhaving a portion for engagement with the re-' ceiver when the latterupon its hook, and. yielding means common to both the supporting-leverand the locking-bar, and exerting tension on both the lever andlocking-bar, in substantially a common plane, whereby when said receiveris removed from said hook, said supporting-lever is automatically turnedinto tion during the time the receiver is removed from the hook, saidmechanism including a -I. In a mechanism of the character indicated, asubstantially vertically movable and laterally deflect-able locking-barhaving a laterally-pro ectmg portion near its upper end I whereby saidbar tends to fall toward locked 6 position, said laterally-projectingportion being provided with an angular guide-slot whose angularextension projects away from the side of said bar provided with saidlaterally-projecting portion, a stop in said slot and above the shoulderproduced by the angle of the same, and means for supporting a depositedcoin in position to present a deflecting-surface movable part adapted tolie in proximity to the said hook, and means for preventing the operatorfrom engaging said part when he en ga es the said hook: substantially asdescribed.

I. In a mechanism of the character indicated, a movable member adaptedto lock a telephone receiver suspension -hook, means for releasing saidmember, mechanism for maintaining said member in released conditionduring the time the receiver is removed from the hook, said mechanismincluding a movable. part adapted to he in proximity to to saidlocking-bar to cause the said bar to be deflected to clear said stop;substantlally as described.

In a mechanism of the character de scribed, the combination with thetelephonereceiver and its movable suspension-hook of 1 alongitudinally-movable locking-bar, which, when in locked position,engages and locks said suspension-hook, means for locking saidlocking-bar, against movement, means for ret t l 1

